The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has broken its silence following the conviction of Simon Ekpa by a Finnish Court, making it clear that the self-styled leader of the “Biafra Government in Exile” has no ties to the separatist movement or its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement on Monday, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, dismissed Ekpa as an impostor who created his own “contraptions” such as the so-called Biafra Liberation Army. The group said attempts to associate his conviction with IPOB were nothing but a political ploy aimed at jeopardising Kanu’s ongoing trial in Nigeria.
Ekpa, whose radical sit-at-home orders once paralysed the South-East, was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland. He was convicted of terrorism-related crimes, including incitement to violence, participation in a terrorist organisation, tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
Describing the Nigerian government’s posture as “judicial hostage-taking,” IPOB warned that linking Ekpa to its peaceful campaign for self-determination under international law was misleading. It urged the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations to intervene and ensure fairness in Kanu’s no-case submission set for October 10.
For many observers, IPOB’s sharp disavowal of Ekpa may be seen as a strategic move to protect its image and reinforce its commitment to non-violent advocacy, even as the conviction of Ekpa adds a dramatic twist to the already tense struggle over the future of Biafra.
